The department was ordered to held a meeting to censure the officials and tell them to write the report, he said.

Ha Tinh authorities have made headlines several times for recommending that local people drink Sai Gon Beer brewed in a local factory.

On September 1 the province People’s Committee sent a written order requiring officials to take part in a festival to promote Sai Gon Beer.

Last year authorities in Ky Anh District, where the brewery is situated, had instructed local agencies to prioritize the use of Sai Gon Beer at official receptions.

An official from the Ha Tinh Department of Industry and Trade, who asked not to be named, told reporters that since the brewery paid taxes worth VND380 billion (US$16.9 million) every year, it is not wrong for the province to promote its products.